Removable Protection-Display Device For Pillars

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a removable protector/display device for columns. The invention includes a flexible laminated panel having a flame-retardant elastomer base. The outer visible face of the base is permanently equipped with a flame-retardant, self-adhesive piece of canvas. The flexible panel includes vertical end strips with two overlapping detachable loop-type edge pieces connected to the inner face of the base and to the canvas. The edge pieces surround the respective outer vertical edge of both layers of the flexible panel to form a casing into which two steel rods are inserted. The casings have mutually-facing holes that expose the steel rods which are connected to one another by corresponding clamps, which are shorter than the distance between the steel rods. The assembly forms a seam in the flexible panel which is tightened around the column.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for protecting pillars, such as columns, in particular pillars of car park storeys or garages, from impacts from and scuffing by moving vehicles, which also allows for the display of advertisements and/or information.

2. Description of Related Art

Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

The pillars in car parking garages are continuously hit or scuffed by vehicles, resulting in damage both to the vehicles and the pillars, which then crumble, and become unattractive and weakened.

In order to prevent this damage, attempts have been made to protect pillars using corner pieces and even advertising and information media.

The existing systems used on pillars are invasive, in requiring anchorage points to be installed on the pillars, damaging the pillars and being such as to cause the impact from vehicles to be transmitted to the cores of the pillars through the anchorage points.

Also, these systems are not easily removable when being relocated from one pillar to another, and, once removed, traces of the previous anchorage points remain.

Another disadvantage of the known systems is that those systems are especially made for an individual pillar, and, in being secured using anchorage points, do not allow for transfer to another pillar. Also, such transfer is particularly labor-intensive and lengthy.

On this basis, using such pillars as an advertising medium is highly impractical, bearing in mind that this activity involves not only frequent changes to the advertisements from a single advertiser, who can use the same media already anchored to the pillar, but also frequent changes in advertiser, and hence, in the type and configuration of the means anchored to the pillar.

Another particular drawback of the prior art systems is that the means used to encircle the pillars are too thick to be properly matched at their edges.

The difficulties in making dimensional changes to the known systems in this regard are accentuated by the varying nominal sizes of pillars and the differences within pillars of the same nominal size.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the light of this prior art, the present invention proposes a removable protection-display device, which is designed for use on pillars in car parking garages and the like.

In one aspect, this removable protection-display device comprises a flexible plate of a layered construction which comprises a base made from a fireproof elastomeric material, which has a thickness of between 10 mm and 15 mm and a width that is suitably less than a circumference of the pillar on which it is to be installed. A self-adhesive canvas, preferably fireproof, is permanently fitted on top of the visible external face of the base, and added-on end pieces which overlap respective ones of the vertical end strips of the flexible plate are joined to the inner face of the base and the canvas to form loops, which define casings into each of which hardened rods are inserted. The casings have open sections exactly opposite one another, in which the hardened rods are exposed and connected to one another using corresponding clips, which together form a seam in the flexible plate encircling the pillar and are of a size that is suitably smaller than the distance between the hardened rods.

The canvas may contain advertising material or information, or a removable fireproof sheet containing advertising or information may be fitted over the canvas.

Implementing this device involves encircling the pillar with the flexible plate, tightening the flexible plate using the hardened rods inserted in the casings, and fitting clips between the opposed hardened rods to keep the flexible plate tensioned flat against the contours of the column, which is also facilitated by the reduced thickness of the flexible plate, ensuring a high degree of foldability at its edges.

With the device produced in this way, a three-fold function is achieved: firstly, pillars and vehicles are protected from impacts and scuffing, because energy is absorbed by the elastomer-based foam material incorporated for this purpose. Secondly, the device is dismantled simply by removing the clips, thus avoiding any damage to or impairment of the pillar or the device itself during this operation, enabling it to be reused and relocated to another pillar, with the same clips or other appropriate means merely needing to be fitted. Thirdly, and in connection with the above, the recommended device is particularly suitable for the incorporation of advertising messages and information due to its ease of replacement, which allows advertising messages or information to be quickly and easily changed, either by replacing the canvas fitted on top of the elastomeric base with another canvas, or by replacing the sheet fitted on top of the canvas covering the elastomeric base with another sheet.

Although apparent from the foregoing, an interesting characteristic of the present invention is that the means purely intended for advertising or information purposes are separate from the means used to ensure the protection of the pillars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In order better to understand the nature of the present invention, a preferred industrial embodiment, intended merely as an illustrative but not definitive example, is illustrated in the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a section of a pillar 1 fitted with a protection-display device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment the device comprises an elastomeric base 3, a canvas 4, and a sheet 11 which are fitted to the base 3, where all components are fireproof. For ease of illustration, a first clip 9 is shown fitted to the opposed coupling rods 7, and a second clip 9 is shown as being fitted to the opposed coupling rods 7.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional view, along line IT-IT of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing three clips 9 of different lengths, which are provided in order to enable matching of the extension corrections as required by the flexible plate 2.

The following reference numerals are used in the drawings:

-   -   1. Pillar or column     -   2. Flexible plate     -   3. Fireproof elastomeric base     -   4. Fireproof canvas     -   5. Added-on end pieces     -   6. Casing     -   7. Hardened rods     -   8. Vertical openings     -   9. Clips     -   10. Adhesive strip     -   11. Fireproof sheet (self-adhesive)     -   11 a. Overlapping strip of the sheet (11)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, relating to a removable protection-display device for pillars 1 in car parks and the like, is illustrated.

The protection-display device comprises a flexible plate 2 of a layered construction, which comprises a base 3 made from a fireproof elastomeric material, which has a thickness of between 10 mm and 15 mm and a width that is suitably less than the circumferential length of the pillar 1 on which the device is to be installed. A fireproof, self-adhesive canvas 4 is permanently fitted to the external face of the base 3. End pieces 5 at each of the respective vertical edges of the flexible plate 2, are each joined to the inner face of the base 3 and overlap the canvas 4 to form a loop.

The end pieces 5 encompass the respective vertical edges of the flexible plate 2 to form casings 6 into which hardened rods 7 are inserted.

The casings 6 have open sections 8 opposite one another, in which the hardened rods 7 are exposed and connected to one another using corresponding clips 9 which together form a seam in the flexible plate 2 encircling the pillar 1 and are of a size that is suitably smaller than the distance between the hardened rods 7.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the device includes an adhesive strip 10 of sufficient width to cover the seam as formed by the clips 9, so that, once installed, the entire peripheral surface of the device is attractive.

In this embodiment, clips 9 are available in different body lengths to match the extension corrections needed by the flexible plate 2, both for different pillars 1 and for different heights in a single pillar 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the device is simple, fast and clean to install on a pillar 1, this being achieved without damaging the pillar 1 in any way.

A flexible plate 2 of appropriate height is wrapped around a pillar 1, and, using appropriate clips 9, the flexible plate 2 is tensioned to the pillar 1, where this tensioning is facilitated by the flexibility and thickness of the elastomeric foam forming the base 3.

In this embodiment, a canvas 4 is attached to the base 3, and in one embodiment the canvas 4 can carry advertising and/or information.

In an alternative embodiment, a fireproof sheet 11, which can carry advertising and/or information, is removably fitted over the canvas 4, by overlapping overlapping strips 11 a of the sheet 11.

In this embodiment, all of the materials of the device have a fire rating.

Finally, it will be understood that the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment and can be modified in many different ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In one embodiment, the protection-display device comprises a plurality of modules of various heights, which can be combined with one another in accordance with the more common heights of pillars 1. For example, modules of 1 m and 0.30 m encompass heights of 2 m (1 m+1 m) and 1.30 m (1 m+0.30 m).

In another embodiment, the canvas 4 and the sheet 11 can comprise reflective and/or fluorescent materials, where these elements are typically made using a reflective material which is given a paint-resistant treatment.

In a further embodiment, the flexible plate 2 comprises a base board in order to prevent potential damage from sweeping machinery.

In a yet further embodiment, the hardened rods 7 can be connected, and thus the flexible plate 2 tensioned, using any other suitable tensioning means, such as ropes, clamps, adjustable tensioners and the like. 

1. A removable protection-display device; for pillars, said pillars being located in car parking garages, the device comprising: a flexible plate of a layered construction comprising a base comprised of an elastomeric material, said flexible plate having a thickness of between about 10 mm and about 15 mm and a width less than a circumferential length of a pillar for installation; and a sheet element, being fireproof, and self-adhesive, and being comprised of a canvas, permanently fitted to an external face of said base, said sheet element having added-on end pieces overlapping respective vertical end strips of said flexible plate, each end piece being joined to an inner face of said base and said sheet element to form loops, said loops defining casings; and a plurality of rods, each rod being inserted into said casings, said casing having open sections opposite one another, the rods being exposed and connected to one another to form a seam in said flexible plate, using corresponding clips smaller than distance between the rods.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising: an adhesive strip, said seam being covered by said adhesive strip.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the clips have lengths to match extension corrections as required by said flexible plate, fitting different pillars and different heights in a single pillar.
 4. The device of claim 1, further comprising: advertising/informational material being carried on said sheet element.
 5. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a fireproof sheet, removably fitted on top of said sheet element.
 6. The device of claim 5, further comprising: advertising/informational material carried on said fireproof sheet.
 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the overlapping strips form a removable fastening for the sheet.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein said flexible plate comprises modules of various heights, able to be combined with one another to provide different heights.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein said flexible plate further comprises a base board.
 10. The device of claim 5, wherein said sheet element and the sheet are comprised of reflective and/or fluorescent material.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the rods are connected, said flexible plate being tensioned by tensioning means. 